I have a VIN that I can't decode...1LNLM81W5SY741327
I can decode it through the 1LNLM. After that depending on the year it's either the next 2 or 3 positions. In the 1997 Service Manual 81 is Lincoln Mercury North America. In 1998 SM, it's 81w=Town Car Executive Series. Then the next 2 positions after the w don't match up to anything I have. The y is Wixom and the last 6 is the serial number. I found this on a computer punch card embedded in expanding foam on the rh side of the car, to the right of the pass airbag. I had to take the dash out to chase down a water leak and saw it there
The reason I am curious is I carfaxed the car before I bought it and it's clean, however there is a gap between 15,000 and 30,000 where there's no information, It's like it was just put up by the person who bought it at the auction @15,000. Does it sound like it may have been totaled and put back together with the front/rear of another car? Any help is appreciated. If you have a water leak on a 97 M8, and the windshield is good, check the seal between the evaporator case and the outside air intake. That's where mine's leaking from
Thanks
Joe

I googled that VIN #. Here is a carfax website, short description. IT comes up as a 1995 Town car Executive Edition.

http://www.carfax.com/cfm/check_order.cfm?VIN=1LNLM81W5SY741327&PopUpStatus=0

there should be vin numbers on many different body parts of that car.do they all match?

All the ones on the body panels match the VIN. I donno if my mark was used as a trash can back in 96?

so if your saying the only place you found that vin wasin the foam,i would say a worker left/stuck it there and dont worry,funny story though

Any idea where our vehicle's build sheets can be found? I read on another Lincoln forum that it was common for them to be buried in the car somewhere, often behind the headliner. Anyone found theirs? Would be an interesting find i reckon...

Well I just got through putting the dash back in and I can promise you it ain't there :) It wasn't so funny a few hours ago, but now it is seeing how I was worried I had a chopped up mark 8. I'd been pissed. I did find the water leak though. Was coming in through the outside air intake for the a/c. Now gotta fix that little problem. Also another thing. The 2 plugs that connect the trans harness, the 2 rear o2 sensors, speed sensor, gear position sensor, and tss can short out if you have had any kind of fluid leak. I just cut the plugs off, soldered and heat shrinked them.
Thanks
Joe

Well I just got through putting the dash back in and I can promise you it ain't there :) It wasn't so funny a few hours ago, but now it is seeing how I was worried I had a chopped up mark 8. I'd been pissed. I did find the water leak though. Was coming in through the outside air intake for the a/c. Now gotta fix that little problem. Also another thing. The 2 plugs that connect the trans harness, the 2 rear o2 sensors, speed sensor, gear position sensor, and tss can short out if you have had any kind of fluid leak. I just cut the plugs off, soldered and heat shrinked them.
Thanks
Joe


have fun if you ever have to pull the trans.

have fun if you ever have to pull the trans.

It doesn't matter if you disconnect the 2 large plugs or disconnect the plugs on the trans as you still have to disconnect the o2 sensors. They way I have it now it doesn't short out the trans harness. I had a 95 Cougar that I did this to 4 years ago and had to pull the trans twice with no problem. The only thing different is that I have to disconnect the trans connector, gear position sensor, tss, vss, and the 2 o2 sensors and it's done.

Go to this URL.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/vin_tools/default.asp

and input the VIN.

the only prob with carfax is it only shows probs IF they were reported, so if jim-bob down the road fixed it and there is no insurance claim on it then carfax wont list it